Mop holder



M. D. EICHNER July 1, 1969 MOP HOLDER Filed Sept. 18, 1967,

I NVENTOR.

MINABELLE D. E/CHNER ATTORNEY 3,452,383 MOP HOLDER Minabelle D, Eichner, 1701 S. Champion Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43207 Filed Se t. 18, 1967, Ser. No. 668,334 Int. Cl. A471 13/255 U.S. Cl. 15-147 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A mop holder is disclosed which comprises a single piece of molded plastic. The holder is a U-shaped channel member positioned with its open side as the bottom, and provided with serrations along an edge of the open side. The holder is provided with two longitudinal slots through the channel wall, one slot near the top of the holder, having an edge with serrations and another slot at a side. A folded towel is inserted one-half through the top slot with its end passing through and below the open side of the channel and the other half through the side slot with the other end also passing through and below the open side of the channel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION My invention relates to cleaning devices and more particularly relates to devices for holding a fabric on a handle, for use as a mop.

Other inventors have provided holders for fabrics. Often such devices are metal and subject to rust such as the holders shown in the patent to Blomstrom No. 1,467,- 086 or the patent to Richter No. 2,696,015. Removal and replacement of the fabric in some holders is difficult.

With other holders, such as that shown by Brandes in Patent No. 1,367,293, the fabric is likely to slip if such devices are used for the heavy duty work usually required of a mop.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide an improved mop holder.

Another object of my invention is to provide a mop holder having sufiicient strength for mop use but having no metal parts subject to corrosion.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mop holder from which the associated fabric will not slip under normal usage.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mop holder which permits facile removal and replacement of its associated fabric.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mop holder by which Substantial force may be applied to the associated fabric to hold the fabric against the surface being cleaned, without scratching the surface with the holder itself.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mop holder which will lend a coarseness to the associated fabric to aid in the removal of stubborn soils.

Further objects and features of my invention will be apparent from the following specification and claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have found that the foregoing and other objects may be attained with a mop holder comprising: a body having, in a selected position, at least one opening at the bottom of the body, one opening at one side of the body communicating with a bottom opening, and one opening near the top of the body communicating with a bottom opening; and means for attaching a handle to the body.

More particularly, I have found that these objects may be attained with a mop holder comprising: (1) a body which is a U-shaped channel member, having, in a senited States Patent ice lected position, its open side as the bottom of the body and having serrations along one (and preferably only one) of its bottom edges, the channel member also having a slot near the top through the wall of the channel member with serrations along at least one of the edges of this top slot, and the channel member also having a slot through the wall of one side of the channel member; and (2) means for attaching a handle to the body.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of an embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical section of an embodiment of my invention taken substantially along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the illustrated embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the illustrated embodiment of my invention.

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of the illustrated embodiment of my invention.

In describing the preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION side 14 of the channel member 12 is the bottom of the body 10 when the body 10 is positioned for use. At least one edge of the bottom 14 of member 12 is formed with serrations 15. I prefer that the opposite edge be straight to permit use of the straight edge as a scraper for removal of some types of soils. An opening 16 near the top of the member 12 is a slot which has serrations 18 formed along at least part of one edge. I prefer that these serrations be at the very top of the body 10 and that the opening 16 be a shorter slot than the other opening in the member 12. Another opening 20, which is also a slot, is provided through the wall of one side of said member 12. This opening is preferably on the side of the member 12 farthest from the smooth side of slot or opening 16 (i.e., closer to the serrations thereof.) One or both edges of the slot or opening 20 could be serrated if desired.

Both the top opening 16 and the side opening 20 are in communication through the channel of member 12 with the bottom opening 14 of said member 12 so that fabric 22 may be inserted in the holder as shown in phantom in FIG. 2 and FIG. 6 and described below.

The body 10 is provided with a means 24 for attaching a handle 26 to the body 10. The attaching means 24 which I prefer i a short tube molded to the body 10 and preferably formed with threads into which the handle 26 may be inserted. I prefer that a curved handle 26 be provided to facilitate cleaning below objects which are close to the floor.

I prefer that the serrations 18 of opening 16 be on the side of slot 16 farthest from the attaching means 24 and that the slot 20 be on the opposite side of member 12 from the attaching means 24.

I also prefer to close the ends of the channel member 12 with endrwalls 28 although my holder would operate well without such end walls 28.

I find it desirable to mold the body and the handle attaching means together as a single piece preferably of plastic, which is thick enough to provide sufficient mechanical strength. However, the handle attaching means could comprise a separate, threaded, collar which is bolted or otherwise fixed to the body. Furthermore, the handle attaching means could alternatively be a portion of the body wall having holes to which a handle with a flat plate at its end could be attached.

OPERATION A person using my device would first insert the handle 26 into the attaching means 24. She would hold the sup port so that the open side 14 of the channel member 12 is downward and the top opening 16 is upward.

A suitable piece of fabric 22 such as, for example, a turkish towel, is brought through the opening in the open side 14 of the bottom of member 12 and passed up through the top opening 16. The top serrations 18 should be at approximately the center of the length of the towel so that half of the towel hangs from the serrations 18 downwardly. The other half of the fabric 22 is brought downwardly through the side opening 20 and out the opening in the bottom 14.

The mop is then impregnated with a desirable soap and a surface cleaned. The two ends 30 of the fabric, which extend below the bottom 14 of the body 10, act as the scrubbing means. The fabric is forced against the surface being cleaned by exerting of a downward force on the handle which provides a downward force by the bottom edges of the member 12, forcing the fabric 30 against the surface being cleaned.

The serrations 15 along an edge of the bottom 14 help prevent slippage of the fabric 22 out of the holder and also add a coarseness to the fabric for cleaning stubborn spots. The opposite straight edge of the bottom 14 provides a handy scraper. The serrations 18 along the top opening 16, together with the bunching of the fabric provided by the shorter opening 16, further prevent slippage of the fabric 22 from the body of my holder.

It can be seen that an advantage of my holder is that whether being pushed away from the user or toward the user, there is always a portion of the body contacting the fabric to force it downward onto the surface being cleaned. Depending on the position of the ends 30 of the fabric 22, either the serrations of the bottom open side 14 of member 12 or the smooth edge of the opposite side of the bottom open side 14 may be forced down onto the fabric 22.

When 1 use the mop, I prefer to position a portion of the fabric on the floor and position the holder on the fabric so that all of the bottom edges of the holder are exerting a downward force on the fabric.

The body 10 could, as an alternative, be solid rather than hollow except for two slots extending through the bottom, one from near the top and the other from one side of the body. Thus, the only necessary features are that there be, first, an opening near the top which communicates with an opening in the bottom so that a fabric may pass through the body from the bottom up through the top; and, second, and opening at the side of the body which communicates with an opening on the bottom so that the fabric may pass downwardly back through the body. There could be two separate openings in the bottom through which the fabric passes, or there could, as shown, he a single openings, which I prefer, through which the fabric passes.

It is to be understood that while the details drawings and specific examples given describe preferred embodiments of my invention, they are for the purpose of illustration only, that the apparatus of the invention is not limited to the precise details and conditions disclosed, and the various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention which is definedby the following claims.

I claim:

1. A mop holder for supporting a fabric scrubbing means, the holder comprising:

(a) a truncated ellipsoidal hollow body having curved sides and top and planar closed ends and having, in a selected position, at least one opening at the bottom of the body, one opening at one side of the body communicating with the bottom opening, and one opening near the top of the body communicating with the bottom opening, the openings adapted to receive portions of the mop fabric; and

(b) means for attaching a handle to the body.

2. A holder according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said openings has serrations at the outer surface of the body. 7

3. A holder according to claim 2 wherein the bottom opening has serrations.

4. A holder according to claim 3 wherein one edge of the bottom opening has serrations and the opposite edge is straight.

5. A holder according to claim 2 wherein the top opening has serrations at its edge nearest the side opening.

6. A holder according to claim 1 wherein said body is a channel member which, in a selected position, has its open side as the bottom of the body.

7. A holderaccording to claim 6 wherein the bottom opening is the open side of the channel member, wherein the top opening and the side opening are slots through the wall of said channel member.

8. A holder according to claim 7 wherein the bottom opening has serrations along one of its edges and the top opening has serrations along one of its edges.

9. A mop holder for supporting a fabric scrubbing means, the holder comprising:

(a) a body having, in a selected position, at least one opening at the bottom of the body, one opening at one side of the body communicating with a bottom opening, and one opening near the top of the body communicating with a bottom opening; and

(b) means for attaching a handle to the body; wherein said body is a channel member, which in a selected position has its open side as the bottom of the body; wherein the bottom opening is the open side of the channel member, wherein the top opening and the side opening are slots through the wall of said channel member; wherein the bottom opening has serrations along one of its edges and the top openings has serrations along one of its edges; wherein the channel member is U-shaped.

10. A holder according to claim 9, wherein the ends of the channel member have walls.

11. A holder according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a curved handle fixed to said attaching means.

12. A mop holder for supporting a fabric scrubbing means, the holder comprising;

(a) a body having, in selective position, at least one opening at the bottom of the body, one opening at one side of the body communicating with the body opening, and one opening near the top of the body communicating with the bottom opening; and

(b) means for attaching a handle to the body;

wherein the bottom opening has serrations along at least a part of one edge but has no serrations along the other edge;

wherein the top opening is shorter than the side opening and the bottom opening has serrations along at least part of one edge;

wherein the body is a U-shaped plastic channel member which in selected positions has its open side as the bottom of the body;

wherein the ends of the channel member have end walls;

Mealey 15-220 5 6 wherein the top opening, and the side opening, are slots 795,674 Ackerman 15148 through the walls of said channel member; and 861,867 Lefevre 15228 wherein the holder is provided with a curved handle. 1,372,783 Smith 15147 XR 1,771,616 Campbell 15220 References Cited 5 1,827,578 Harder 15-228 2,218,792 Hills 15-147 STATES PATENTS 2,685,704 Haber. 72,306 12/1867 Leas. 528,267 10/1894 Wool 15l48 DANIEL BLUM, Primary Examiner. 

